Kine

by Alan Lloyd and A.R. Lloyd

Book Overview

It is a peaceful valley of woodland and marsh, unchanged for centuries--"until a ferocious invader appears: wild mink, savage and unstoppable. It is left to a brave but tiny hunter, Kine the weasel, to fight back against the she-mink Gru and her dark followers. So with Kine, his beloved mate Kia, and their motley allies we spend one glorious, unforgettable summer in a place where solitary creatures prowl secret paths and hedgerows, and whiskered legions...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312454058
• ISBN13: 9780312454050
• Release Date: January 1983
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 255 Pages
• Weight: 3.15 lbs.
• Grade Range: Kindergarten to Grade 6

Customer Reviews

A children's book that's magic for grown-ups too.

Kine is a children's book in the mode of 'Watership Down' focusing on the lives of weasels and people in a rural enclave in mid-20th century Britain. By virtue of giving the animals voices and emotions the book is a delight for children, but many adult themes and scenes are explored and played out. The central figure is Kine, a male weasel in the prime of life, who engages in ao on-going battle of wits with the local poacher. Initially all seems set for an entertaining struggle between these two, but the story quickly takes a number of darker twists, chief amongst which is the arrival of wild mink to the area. The mink have escaped from a fur farm and begin to cut a swathe through the local wildlife, unchallenged in their strength and agression. After the mink destroy his family Kine belatedly realises that the way of life he and his ancestors have enjoyed for centuries is under threat and determines to drive out the invaders. Unfortunately weasels are solitary animals, while the mink gather in numbers and Kine has a huge struggle to gather an army to assault the mink stronghold in the pumphouse, a lair as fearsome as any Mordor. He has to travel far and wide to recruit, advised by an older weasel who may be his father and disaster is never more than a page away. A number of portents hang over the story. The aging poacher is bewildered by new technology and frightened by his failing strength. The old way of life is disappearing for him too, and he seeks to redeem himself. The poacher is able to bear witness to the rampages of the mink and the strange behaviour of the weasels, and to put it into a realistic context. The poacher's daughter is sceptical and takes the voice of the incredulous reader. The book is beautifully written and succeeds in carrying the reader along on an exhilerating crusade and a bitter-sweet emotional journey. I first read Kine as a boy almost 20 years ago, and have read it many times since. I would heartily recommend it to readers of any age.

Enchanting look into wildlife in Britain

A. Lloyd takes us into a beautiful world of ferns, marshes, trees and thickets, takes us into the heart of a forest in England and follows the fascinating story of a weasel named Kine. Little is known by most people about this fierce creature but A. Lloyd has captured its elegance and bravery in the pages of this book.Before reading this book I didn't know much about weasels, or the impact the invasion bay minks had on their lives. It tells a story of courage and determination to keep tradition from being swept away by the more powerful.